Car-brake.



N0. 696,90I. Patented Apr. I, I902.

' 0. B. FAIRCHILB.

UAR BRAKE.

(Applicatiori filed July 2, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Tu: Noams P515515 coy, PNQTO-LITNG. WA$HINQTON, n c.

UNITE STaTns ATnT WFFICE.

CHARLES B. FAIRCHILD, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOEDIVARD T. POSTLETHIVAITE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,901, dated April 1,1902 Application filed July 2, 1901. Serial No. 66,854. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FAIROHILD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented certainImprovements in Car-Brakes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in devices for controllingthe speed of cars, and more particularly to an improved IO form ofmechanical brake for electric cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a braking device for a carwhich while being simple in construction shall be powerful in action andeasily and quickly applied, a further object being to reduce the spacenecessarily occupied by the braking mechanism on the platform of a car.These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side View of one endof a streetcar, showingthe application of my improved braking devicethereto. Fig. 2 is a side View, partly in section, showing the detailconstruction of the brake mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewof part of the cable-drum, showing one method of attaching the cablethereto; and Fig. 4 is a view of a modification of my device.

In the above drawings, A is a street-car of the ordinary constructionmounted ona single truck, one end of which is shown at a. Brakegear,which may be of any desired type, is shown at B, this being operated bymeans of a brake-rod b. This rod is fastened at its forward end by meansof an eyebolt b to a cylinder 0, closed at one end and provided at itsother end with a threaded nut c. A projection o from the lower side ofthe nut c is constructed to be supported and guided on a horizontal bar(I, which forms part of a framework designed to support my improveddevice. The bar 01 is carried and braced at its rear end by two inclinedpieces d, the forward end thereof being attached to a vertical member(:1 Journaled in this vertical piece is a shaft E, provided with acollar e, by which it is prevented from moving later ally, and it haskeyed to its outboard end a cable-drum F. The greater portion of theshaft is threaded, as shown, being constructed to fit the threaded nut cand to operate therein. Several turns of a rope or cable II are placedon the drum F, and one end of the same is passed upwardly through anelongated opening in the platform A of the car, over a pulley 7t, justunder the hood of the car, and down through a second similar opening inthe platform to the drum, to which it is suitably fastened. 1 preferablyattach the cable to the drum as shown in Fig. 3, in which F is a sectionof the drum through which a U-shaped staple f is passed, this staplebeing threaded at one end and having a nut f and washer-f I preferablyinclose the operating mechanism of my device Within acasing I,preferablybolted to the under side of the car-platform. By this meansdust or grit is kept from the bearing-surfaces of the device, therebygreatly increasing its life and usefulness. The connecting part betweenthe brake-rod and the nut c is not necessarily made as a cylinder,although this is my preferred construction on account of the betterprotection of the screw from dust, 850.

In the operation of my device a motorman grasps one of the verticallengths of rope and to set the brakes pulls downwardly on-the section h,thereby revolving the cable-drum with its threaded shaft, causing thenut c to travel thereon toward the drum and through the cylinder,putting a greater or less degree of tension on the brake-rod b, andthereby forcing the brake-shoes against the car-wheels in the well-knownmanner. When it is desired to release the brakes, the other verticallength of rope is pulled downwardly, thus running the nut 0 toward theend of the threaded shaft and allowing releasing-springs of any of thewell-known forms to draw the brake-shoes away from the wheels. Shouldthe operating-rope at any time become slack, the drum F may be revolveduntil one end of the rope is readily accessible, when the staple holdingit is loosened. It isthen pulled through the staple until a sufficienttension has been obtained, after which the nut f is screwed up, securelyretaining the said rope in position.

In designing the screw on the shaft E the threads are given a pitchwhich will be sufficient to prevent the shaft from being revolved by thetension on the brake-rod. When thus constructed, it will be seen thatthe use of skilled in the art.

ratchet mechanism will be unnecessary, the cable-drum having no tendencyto turn when the brake is set and the whole mechanism remaining in anyposition without requiring to be held. It is obvious that the screw maybe fixed to the brake-rod and the nut be made the movable member of thedevice without departing from my invention.

In providing a rope to be used on my improved device I preferably employwhat is known as tiller-cable, this particular variety of rope beingexceedingly strong and flexible-and easily running over even very smallpulleys.

It will be seen that the cable-operating part of my invention is notconfined to the specific combination with a screw and threaded nut, as,if desired, it may be constructed as shown in Fig. at, in which theropes or cables are passed around pulleys j under the car-platform andtaken to a horizontally-placed cable-drum. This drum is supported on avertical shaft suitably held in bearings 7c and the brake-chain e at theend of the brakerod being held thereto by means of an eyebolt 6 in themanner well known to those By manipulating the sections h and IL2 of therope as above set forth the chain is wound or unwound from the shaft andthe brakes set or released accordingly.

It will be understood that when it is desired to apply my improvedbraking mechanism to a double-truck car the cable-drum, with itsattached parts, is placed under the center of the car between thetrucks. The operating rope or cable then passes from the drum to one endof the car, up through'the platform, as shown in the figures, then downand under the whole length of the car to the other platform, overpulleys similar to those on the first platform, and then back to thedrum, there being guiding-pulleys provided where necessary.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my improvedmechanism permits of the most efficient use of his power by the motormanor other person operating the same. In action the entire weight of theoperator is available to pull downwardly on the rope and set the brake,while very much less force can ordinarily be used where the strength ofthe operator can only be exerted in a horizontal direction when pullingor pushing on a brakehandle, and that only at a great disadvantage atcertain points. Itis, moreover, to be noted that the position necessaryin applying my brake is a perfectly natural one to the opera tor,requiring no unusual or uncomfortable action on his part.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a device for operatin gthe brake-gear of a car, of a shaft, a drum thereon, a rope partly woundon the drum, and a pulley over which a loop of said rope extends, withmeans for operatively connecting the brake-gear of the car to the saidshaft,

the said loop of rope extending within the reach of an operatorsubstantially as described.

2. The combination of a car, brake-gear thereon, a threaded shaft on thecar, a nut on said threaded shaft, the brake-gear being connected tosaid nut, a drum fixed to the shaft, a pulley on the platform of the carand a rope partially wound on the drum and extending over the pulley onthe platform within reach of an operator thereon substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with a car and the braking mechanism thereof, of anut and a threaded shaft, thesame comprising members of which one isrevoluble, a drum fixed to the revoluble member, a connection betweenthe brake-gear and the second member and arope extending around the drumwhereby the device may be operated substantially as described.

4. The combination with a car having brake-gear, of a threaded shaftsupported in bearing from said car, a drum keyed to said shaft, a ropewound on saiddrum for turning the same, a nut constructed to fit thethreaded shaft and a casing attached to the said not and extendingaround the end of said shaft, said casing being connected to thebrake-gear, substantially as described.

5. In a device for operating the brake-gear of a car, the combination ofa member fixed to prevent longitudinal motion; and a second member fixedto prevent rotary motion, a drum fixed to the first member, means woundon said drum whereby it may be made to revolve and a connection betweenthe second member and the brake-gear, with means constructed to guideand support said second member as it is moved longitudinally,substantially as described.

6. The combination in a device of the character described, of a framehung from the bottom of a-car, a threaded shaft journaled in one of themembers thereof, a threaded nut operative on the shaft and connected tothe brake-gear of the car, said not being guided on said frame,.a drumon the shaft and a rope whereby said drum is made to revolve,substantially as described.

7. The combination of a car, brake-gear therefor, athreaded shaftsupported from said car, a drum thereon, a threaded nut operative on theshaft, a casing surrounding the shaft and its cooperative parts, and arod connected to the brake-gear of the car extending through an openingin said casing and connected to said threaded nut, with means wound uponthe drum for turning the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES B. FAIROHILD.

Witnesses:

-WILLIAM E. BRADLEY,

FLORENCE HILLMAN.

